Falling Angel Rise
by Draconai
Summary: Just because he flew for too long... just because he couldn't protect his troops, or he missed his shot at the one who assaulted his Goddess... Just because it looks like he's finished, doesn't mean he can't look his fate in the eye - and smile his childish grin, knowing he can, he will win, in this life... or the next. Spoilers for Uprising! You were warned.
1. The Chaos Vortex

Draco: I know, I know, this is getting ridiculous. Don't worry, though, this isn't going to be a main project. In fact, it's mostly compensation for having to take down my Heart To Heart playlist.

Here's the story. I've been playing Kid Icarus in anticipation for some LVD with someone other than the witty-named AI Fighters and jackass cheaters, and for some reason I felt like writing something a little... _darker_ than usual. Yes, making Vanitas a vampire just _wasn't dark enough _for me. Hey, Rosa-Vam has a hell of a lot of comedy, you can't write very good _serious_ fanfiction about it.

Anyways, the subject of my darkness is as follows; I'll be doing my take on a few of those times you get finished for some reason _other_ than getting blasted in Crisis Mode. You know, those things that no fool would ever make the mistake of doing? (Okay, I'll admit those Centurion Strongarms are hard to protect on higher Intensities (or even just with a club) but _that's not the point_).

No, I'm not doing these in order. This one is from Chapter 21. Don't miss the Chaos Kin when he breaks his head on that rock; if you didn't cry, you're a Heartless.

Kid Icarus and all related subjects © Masahiro Sakurai and his Project Sora (no, not _that_ Sora).

* * *

**The Chaos Vortex: Broken Wings**

It was desperation.

No, it was _anger._ Skyworld ravaged over three years, Lady Palutena's body turned stone cold sepia, her soul in the Chaos Kin's hands. Or... claws. Pit was desperate to protect his goddess, but he lost because the Chaos Kin had made him angry. Nothing more.

The staff in his hands was his biggest problem. Blades had wider blasts. Claws had rapid fire. Orbitars had some serious homing. And if you fire a shot off from a club, be damned if you don't scare them long enough to dash up and strike them with a melee blow. But the Laser Staff in his hands fired in a straight line, no thicker than a twig; and in his anger, had hadn't even taken aim. He'd just _fired._

The shot flew between the Chaos Kin's wings, tearing through the stone into which it had just crashed.

He fired again; but by now the parasite had recovered, flying around the shot and taking off. Pit shouted in desperation, feeling his wings start to heat up, and he raised his staff again as another eyelike gap opened in front of the Chaos Kin; but the shot died as it hit the eye, and as his wings tried to take him forward the rift in the vortex closed.

"_NOOO!_"

_"You're out of time,"_ Viridi gasped, her voice weak. _"__And... you're out of flight. I can't even get you home..."_ The nature goddess' image appeared in his mind; tears were trailing from her eyes.

_"I'm sorry, Pit."_

Pit's breath was heavy as flames started to spark across his wings. "No..."

Viridi's voice reached his mind again. _"I'll save your wings... Try and find a safe place to land."_

The angel only closed his eyes as the light faded from his feathers; and as the Chaos Vortex's twisted gravity dragged him in a direction he knew not where, he only folded his wings and parted his hands, letting it take him where it so pleased.

The air whistled through Pit's feathers, racing his hair in front of him, and as his body raced past debris that looked like temple ruins memories began to race past his mind.

_I'll strip you of your wings and sever you from the heavens forever!_

Medusa's threat seemed so mild now, compared to what Pit had been through. Hades had certainly meant to hold true on his promise to make the Goddess of Darkness 'look like a sweet, cuddly bunny'; waging the humans against themselves, fighting off the Aurum just so _he_ could claim the planet - he was just so vile it was hard to set up anything worse, even just for Pit to imagine.

_At which point, they'll drive themselves to extinction battling for it. And that's good for my business!_

Lord of the Underworld definitely made Hades a serious player in the whole warfare game; how could it not, when all death brings you a new batch of victory? Pit wouldn't be surprised if he had the Reapers sorting out which dead were best fit to be suited up for battle.

_I'm talking about their interior - specifically, their souls._

Medusa's fortress had reformed her commanders for Pit to fight, but if what Palutena had said about Pandora was true for all of them, they were just souls, mixed up to give them the powers.

_Add a pinch of memories to a lot of souls. Put them in a blender and hit frappé!_

If Hades could bring about something as great as Medusa, just by reforming a few dead souls with her thoughts, who was to say he couldn't pull about something simpler than that?

_Isn't it obvious? These brutes have a complete disregard for life!_

Viridi had hatred for the humans, but the only difference between them and the Underworld was just their form; humans were natural, the Underworlders were monsters. If Viridi hated them that much...

_All you have to do is conquer anyone in your way!_

Pit's eyes snapped open.

With a whirl of movement, the angel arced around and spread his wings. His fall slowed, and he whirled his staff in hand until a temple structure drifted towards him. He thrust the weapon out, causing it to hook on the column, and he arced around it swiftly, whirling into a flip.

"Find a safe place to land, huh?"

Pit drove his sandals into the stone, grasping his staff at his side.

"I'll do you one better - I'll find a safe place to _fight_."

He kicked off the marble, wings outspread. On his own, he couldn't fly - not without the Wings of Pegasus - but he didn't hesitate to leap from rubble to rubble, wreckage to wreckage, staff braced behind him until he caught sight of what he was looking for.

"Hey, you overgrown locust!"

The Chaos Kin reacted to Pit's shout as he raised his staff, taking careful aim.

A breath passed through the angel's lips.

Then he fired.

A single shot at maximum distance from a Laser Staff was more than enough to knock the Chaos Kin out of the sky. The abomination tried to flap its way around, take cover, but Pit quickly raised his staff again, holes in its wings with a couple volleys of continuous fire. As the Chaos Kin began to plummet, Pit set a hand on his laurel crown.

"Guess who, Viridi!"

Then he took two steps forward and leapt, arcing into a diving glide as he chased the Chaos Kin towards lower ground.

* * *

Draco: Yeah, I knew I was gonna turn it light around the end.

When you think you're about to die, emotion leaves you. Under those circumstances, Pit could _easily_ figure it out through backflash montage. His wings function enough to let him glide, just ask the Smashers - and with that, all it would take is a bit of tricky maneuvering for him to find the Chaos Kin. He's an _angel_ - and _that's_ how angels _get things done._

Reviews, if you please!


	2. The Aurum Brain

Draco: Okay, round two! Warning: if the first is any example, these are _not_ going to be very long. My choice this time is from Chapter 17, if you let all four of the Centurion Strongarms pulling your stand fall. And yes, Pit is armed with a club, because that's the _only_ circumstance I have ever failed this chapter!

...No, I haven't done it on much higher than Intensity 3.0, shut up!

Kid Icarus and all related subjects © Masahiro Sakurai and his Project Sora (again, it's not _that_ Sora).

* * *

**The Aurum Brain: Soldiers Lost**

"There's an obstacle ahead!"

Pit fastened his hold on his Skyscraper Club as he locked his eyes on the barrier that the Aurum - that _Pyrrhon _had raised before him. "Just keep moving!" Pit insisted to the Centurion Strongarms who were keeping his platform moving. As he caught sight of a weakness in the block, he called out, "I've got it!"

He arced the weapon over his head and lashed out, sending a powerful shot of neon and steel crashing into the weak point, shattering the barrier. Another barrier dropped down, but he only whirled his club around, sending another massive shot flying into it. A third was broken through as well, and though the fourth came much sooner, Pit managed to propel himself off of the platform and drive his Club in with a thrust, arcing in place with the momentum long enough for the Centurions to bring his platform back under his feet.

A new problem rose before him; lines of fire, tearing through the foretress around him. "Laser beams?" Pit cried out, leaping back. As one of them neared him, he leapt onto the jump pad, launching himself into the air.

_"They're coming from the battleships outside!"_ Viridi exclaimed as he landed, seeing another beam tear through the steel.

_"Ah, alien ingenuity at its best!"_ Hades mused.

Pit resisted the urge to snap back at him, only sliding under the next beam. It wasn't long until they arrived at a wide open area - at which point, Aurum drones began to rise up all around them.

_"Come on, Pit!"_ Palutena pleaded. _"My poor Centurions are struggling! Take out those Aurum troops **now!**"_

The angel swore loudly. His club wasn't exactly crowd-defensive material, and as he tried to strike out, he inevitably saw a Rezda send panels flying at his soldiers. He tried to extend his club to beat them back, but several got past him, knocking into one of the Strongarms. It gave a shout of pain, releasing the chains as it plummetted, and Pit lashed out with another charged shot, trying to get at the Aurum before the Aurum got to his troops. Palutena had already faked him out with the first two Centurions, and Pit wasn't exactly trying to take his chances with these two.

Then he saw a swarm of fake Monoeyes flying in.

"Sweet mother of cross thunder, are you kidding me!?" Pit shouted desperately. He blasted another charged shot at the Monoeyes, arcing his Club into whirling loops to beat back the shots that the drones had made past his blast, but he couldn't eliminate them all; and with his focus on the Monoeyes, he didn't see the Urgle knockoff show up until it had flipped his last Centurion.

"Gaaaaaah!"

Pit spun around, lashing out at the drone, before he realized that his platform was starting to fall. "Um... you were kidding about those being the last two, right?" Pit asked desperately.

_"No, Pit,"_ Palutena murmured sadly, _"I wasn't."_

The captain of her guard let his weapon hit the stone, disgraced at having failed his troops.

_"Hahahahahaha!" _Pyrrhon's laugh echoed through the area. _"Your game, my friends, is **so** over!"_

Pit's eyes snapped open at the traitor god's laugh. As his platform really started to plummet, he braced himself for the impact and set his left hand on his laurel crown.

"Hades."

_"Is that you, Pitty-Pat?__"_

"If you want to get your hits in," Pit taunted, "send someone in who can handle the heat."

He took two steps forward, braced his club behind him, and fired.

"Because things are about to _light **up!**_"

The recoil sent Pit tumbling back, further towards the Aurum Brain where Pyrrhon was currently hanging out. As he neared the wall, he skidded his feet against it for a couple paces before leaping upward.

_"WHAAAT?!"_ Viridi's exclamation echoed in Pit's mind. _"Are you **crazy!?**"_

Pit only ignored her, lashing out with a sweeping blow from his club. This tore steel rubble down from the roof, and the angel managed to dig his sandals in and kick off, leaping from piece to piece. If he hadn't such a heavy weapon in his hand, he probably could have simply used his wings to _glide_ his way forward - but clubs were bulky and heavy, and that left him jumping off the last of his wreckage. He managed to impale his club on the roof, arcing around it and driving his heels onto the steel.

_"Pit, what are you doing?"_ Palutena demanded.

"Let me do this, Lady Palutena," Pit insisted. He drew his club out and leapt off, swiping his club towards the ground with enough force to let the recoil knock himself back. "I can stop him. I _know_ I can. I _will not_ be finished by a self-ambitious sun freak with a superego!"

_"Pit,"_ Palutena warned. _"You realize that if you manage to destroy the Aurum Brain, that's it. Pyrrhon or no Pyrrhon, this whole place is going to explode! You could **die **in there!"_

Pit nodded, skidding his heels against the wall. "I know," he insisted, slashing his club into the wall and managing to break off some more wreckage. "But if I don't stop the Aurum, Pyrrhon or no Pyrrhon, that's _it._ No humans. No planet. No _life_." A thought occured to him as he leapt onto that wreckage, managing to catch sight of Pyrrhon's glow.

"Next to _him_, Hades is going to look... like a sweet. Cuddly. Bunny."

He heard the Underworld god shout. His laurel had _nothing_ to do with it.

Pit only leapt off, his feet catching on a jut-out in the side of the Aurum structure. He braced his Skyscraper Club on its tip like Magnus always did with his huge blade, his gaze locking on Pyrrhon.

"You hear me, Pyrrhon?!" Pit shouted. "I _won't_ let you go through with this!"

Pyrrhon gave a shout as though in pain. "HALT. HALT."

Pit narrowed his gaze. An emotionless command like that was _not_ the reaction he was expecting. "Um...?"

"STAY AWAY." Pyrrhon's voice had gone monotone.

The angel set a hand on his laurel crown again. "Are any of you seeing that?" he called. "That doesn't seem-"

_"Pit," _Viridi called, _"I've got three Bladers luring an Aurum Dohz your way. We can't handle the heat in there, but if you can make a safe landing on its hull, you should be able to-"_

A crash caused Pit to turn to see a Dohz ricocheting off one of the walls, it's drone-dropping funnel busted. Pit yelped as it swerved towards him, leaping into the air as it slammed into where he had just been standing. He managed to make a safe landing atop it, only to see worse news - there were two Aurum Fire Wyrms snaking towards him.

A glow from further caused Pit to angle his head to see past them.

There were two _real_ Fire Wyrms chasing after him.

"Oh, man," Pit muttered.

_"Don't get the wrong idea, Pitty-Pat,"_ Hades taunted. _"We're just here to drive that little flying saucer into a wall. After that, our little sun-buddy is all yours!"_

The Fire Wyrms wasted no time in taking out the drone knockoffs; then they slammed into the Dohz, sending it tumbling hull-over-funnel. Pit yelped, driving his Skyscraper Club into the transport to keep himself on; when he righted himself, it was hooked on the Wyrms, which were dragging it towards the Aurum Brain.

And latched onto that machine was Pyrrhon.

"01001011010010010100110001001100..."

* * *

Draco: Yes, that is the exact binary that Pyrrhon was rambling. For those of you who don't know, it translates to 'KILL'. Reviews, if you please!


	3. Wrath Of The Reset Bomb

Draco: I'm going _backwards_. I acknowledge that. Also, there are far fewer non-standard Finishes than I thought there were. Chaos Vortex, Aurum Brain, Reset Bomb... I'm saving the one in 25 for later... I _might_ get the one from 20 if I'm feeling sadistic... kinda hard to turn the one in 24 into anything good... those falls are all in chapters I've already covered... huh.

Kid Icarus and all related subjects © Masahiro Sakurai and his Project Sora (once more, it's not _that_ Sora).

* * *

**Wrath Of The Reset Bomb: Terminal Velocity  
**

"The Reset Bomb is going to wreak havoc if it hits the ground!"

Pit's wings shone bright as Palutena sent him after the falling weapon. It was like some kind of twisted meteor, tumbling towards the Overworld below, and he quickly locked his Electroshock Arm in place and raised it.

_"Careful,"_ Palutena warned. _"It could explode if you just start shooting indiscriminately."_ Pit lowered his weapon as she took him lower - and he saw several shining pods across the bomb's surface. _"Oh, there!"_ she exclaimed. _"Attack those pods to destroy the crown and expose the core. Then, destroy the core!"_

Pit grit his teeth. This wasn't going to be easy - the shots from his arm weren't exactly fast, and the Reset Bomb just kept turning in midair. He raised the weapon and fired, chasing shots across its surface, but each pod only tumbled out of reach as his shots neared it.

A troop from the Forces of Nature - a Blader, Pit believed they were called - soared towards him, firing at him, but Pit only caught the shots on his arm and shot back at it. His wings flared as Palutena accelerated him, and he kept firing, trying to blast it again and again.

Viridi had to have been controlling it as he fired; the bomb kept turning away. He tried leading his shots, as he had with the Phoenix - measuring out the distance and blasting in time - but no sooner had he landed one shot - a charged shot that broke one of the pods and sent spores pouring from the wound - than the Reset Bomb twisted in the other direction, causing his next shot to miss.

"_You're running out of time!"_ Palutena cried.

"I know!" Pit shouted, blasting at the pods again; the bomb _stopped_ turning as his shot struck the shell; then it moved again, faster than ever. "Bring me closer!"

_"If I do that, you'll risk getting caught in it when it falls!"_ Palutena informed him.

Pit shook his head. "Do it! I can't hit it at this range!"

He flapped his wings hard as the goddess drew him in, and he continued to fire, charged shots from his Electroshock Arm flaring. The bomb was now _deliberately_ stopping his shots from hitting, and he resorted to dragging his weapon across its surface, ripping scars across the Reset Bomb as another pod shattered and spewed spores at him.

He tried to reach for the next one, but the meteor actually _changed course_, knocking him out of the way. A swarm of Nutskis shot towards him, launching attacks that only missed because a Monoeye or two had got in the way.

_"You're down to the wire!"_ Palutena gasped. _"Hurry!"_

"I'm trying, damn it!" Pit snapped. "Put me closer!"

_"Pit, we're too slow!"_ the goddess of light shouted. _"We need to go, now! You don't have enough flight!"_

Pit shook his head. "No! Take me to it!"

He tried to take off after the bomb, but the Power of Flight started dragging him skyward. _"Pit, we need to __go!"_

"Cut it off!" Pit protested. "Dim my wings! I need to stop that thing!"

_"Pit, listen to me, there's no time!"_ Palutena insisted. _"Come **on!**"_

Pit growled. "_NOOOO!_"

He swept his empty hand towards his helm.

It struck his laurel crown, knocking it off his head, and the light on his wings dimmed as it tumbled out of range.

+x+x+x+

Palutena cut herself off mid-argument. Something was wrong. Her connection to Pit's wings had cut out.

"Pit?"

His laurel was tumbling through the air, unbound, and as Palutena tried to divine his surroundings she saw _Pit diving towards the Reset Bomb_.

"No. No, no, no no _no! PIT, **NO**!"_

She slammed her staff to the temple floor, sending a wave of light across the area. "Centurions, to arms!" she cried. "Find him! Quickly!"

The door flew open as twenty-five Centurions took off, soaring through the battle between the Underworld and the Forces of Nature as they sought to find Pit.

Palutena winced. "Pit..."

+x+x+x+

The Reset Bomb had about a minute before it hit the ground as Pit dove alongside it, falling at terminal velocity. He managed to grab the ridge with his empty hand - the bomb's turning speed meant that it nearly tore the limb out of its socket as he dragged himself onto the crown. He was right next to one of the only two remaining pods, and he quickly slammed his Electroshock Arm into it, shattering it. Spores shot up in his face, catching in his hair and flying up his nose, but he spat them back out and dragged himself towards the last pod, slamming another melee strike into it.

The crown shattered - and with about fifteen seconds until impact, he arced into a flip and drove his weapon into the core.

Cracks raced across the core, but it didn't break. Ten seconds.

He struck it again, and again. More cracks. Still no damage.

Five.

Pit breathed in and out very rapidly, coursing as much of his own power into his weapon as he could; then he slammed the arm right into the bomb's core and _fired_.

The Reset Bomb _tore open_ with voltage, flying away from the ground with half a second to spare, and the core shattered as Pit tumbled into the main body of the meteor. The bomb tumbled as Pit tried to fight his way out, his legs and wings catching on what seemed to be tree branches, his arm hooking on vines, but he kept fighting through, climbing the weapon.

A massive impact rocked the bomb, and Pit heard a massive splash. _Did this thing just land in the ocean?_

His answer was yes. Water was starting to seep through cracks in the bomb as it began to sink, and Pit quickly felt his wings and tunic soak _fast_. Pit swore, continuing to climb; he couldn't fire his arm or he'd end up vaporizing himself in the voltage. He lashed out with it physically, tearing through the condensed forest until he found an opening.

The angel managed to take one breath before water swarmed him from all side.

He held back a curse as he tried to surface. He managed to pop his head out of the water for only an instant - the closest land was at least half a kilometre away. A half-breath managed to pass through his lips before he fell under again, and Pit struggled to swim. The Electroshock Arm was heavy, weighing him down, and try as he might Pit knew he wasn't going to survive if he kept it on.

He lashed the weapon forward and released the securing mechanism, separating it from his limb.

He continued to flail through the water, trying to surface. Pit wasn't the best swimmer - he was the first to admit that - and his wet wings were worse than useless; if didn't get near land _soon_, he was finished.

The tips of his wings lifted just out of the water... and something grabbed him by the tips of his feathers.

Pit yelped as he was pulled from the ocean, lifting out of the liquid. He quickly landed on something hard and wooden; he wasn't complaining, but he _was_ hoping that a human ship hadn't decided _he_ was responsible for the havoc these days. The angel coughed for several moments, water and spores passing through his mouth, and he took several massive, greedy breaths.

"That meteor yours, angel face?"

Pit's gaze shot up to see a familiar burly figure standing there, oversized blade in hand. "Magnus?" he prompted. "What are-?" He shook his head. "You know what, I _don't_ care. Thanks for hauling me out of there."

Magnus scowled. "Just don't expect any more favours," he stated roughly. His gaze rose. "Those archers yours?"

"Archers?" Pit spun round to see several small, winged figures with bows soaring towards him. "The Centurions!" he exclaimed. "Palutena must have sent them out to find me. Ugh, she's gonna _kill_ me for cutting out on her."

One of the Centurions neared the boat. "Captain! What's happened?"

"I know, I know, I'm in trouble," Pit protested. "Have you guys my laurel?"

The soldier nodded. "We found it drifting earthward when we were searching for you. Come on, I'll give you a lift." He flew over Pit and grabbed him by the back of his chiton, lifting him into the air and towards land. Magnus only sighed, turning towards the water.

What looked like a massive golden barrel tumbled to the surface in the net that was pulled to the surface.

* * *

Draco: You _know_ something's wrong with you when Pit is within range of an explosion and your first thought is "I can use this." I am a _dark_ little son of a bitch.

Reviews, if you please!


	4. The War's End

Draco: This is the last one, guys. I decided I'm _not_ sadistic enough to wail on Palutena with my five-star melee Earthmaul Club just for the sake of a story. As a result, this will only be edited if that happens _accidentally_ (apparently it gets really hard to _not_ hurt her on higher Intensities) and I have a black enough heart to work with it.

Kid Icarus and all related subjects © Masahiro Sakurai and his Project Sora.

* * *

**The War's End: Fallen Angel Rise**

"Engaging Ultralight Mode!"

A flare of light emerged behind the Great Sacred Treasure, forming a pattern of what looked like angelic butterfly wings. Pit, with his arms, legs, and wings locked into the controls of the mech's 'cockpit', made a mental note to get this thing fixed when this battle was over; this thing constantly adapted to damage, he didn't want to put it to waste.

The tunnel-like rift was starting to condense around him, and the angel couldn't see any sign of Hades. "Where'd he go?"

_"Up!"_ Palutena called. _"He's made it to the Overworld! He's aboveground!"_

Pit nodded, causing the cockpit to seal with a Dyntos light as the Great Sacred Treasure launched through the dying tunnel. A flood of sea shot by him, and as he surfaced near a town he glanced around to see Hades - or, his upper half - floating above the water.

"Quite persistent, aren't you."

The God of the Underworld braced his fist at his sides, and energy shot down from his waist area. Pit watched in complete shock as that energy formed _a whole new pair of legs_ straight out of his waistline.

"All better!" the god taunted.

_Holy Reset Bombs, he's good._ Pit shook his head and braced the Ultralight Mode's blaster as Hades swept his hands back. A swarm of blasts flew from his palms, blue and purple and maybe a couple reds, and Pit grit his teeth; this was a flurry he couldn't avoid completely.

Palutena noticed. _"Incoming fire; take out those blue shots!"_

As he raised the blaster, he heard Viridi warn him; _"Those purple shots will hurt you, so **don't** shoot_ _those!"_

Pit could make to with fighting through that, the Great Sacred Treasure started blasting the blue blasts, which parted as they neared him. Sweeping the mech past the purple attacks, he realized Hades wasn't as good as he'd thought; there was a very obvious weakness - a crystalline patch of energy - where the new legs had sprouted. The angel arced the Great Sacred Treasure into a spin and launched a powerful charged shot that struck the evil god straight in the join, causing him to stumble back.

Hades crossed his arms and locked his fingers together, thrusting them forward and launching a series of crimson barriers that knocked Pit's shots right back at him, but the Great Sacred Treasure only swept under them; then Pit launched a quick volley of blasts at the weakness. He moved as soon as the shots connected, arcing into a full one-eighty circle before Hades had a chance to retaliate, and quickly raised his blaster.

A fast charged shot launched from the weapon and impaled Hades _right_ in the join, causing him to stumble back as he tried to recover.

The evil god growled weakly - some twisted cross between a Ganymede, a Reaper, and a Belunka - as he turned around, bracing his hands back. "This is _ever_ so tiresome," he mused menacingly.

Pit lined the Great Sacred Treasure with light as he shot forward for a melee strike. "Then let's _finish it!_" he shouted, lashing out.

The strike passed through Hades like he wasn't there.

Which probably explained why the Lord of the Underworld quickly shot down and **_crushed_**_ the **Great **Sacred Treasure **between his palms!**_

Pit gave a shout of horror and pain as Lord Dyntos' custom weapon was destroyed, pure orichalcum crushing against his arms and tearing through his feathers as he blacked out.

+x+x+x+

"Looks like your little toy isn't so _great_ after all!"

Hades' taunt went unheard by Pit as the angel lost consciousness. It _was_, however, very clearly heard by the battle's spectator; Viridi dropped her snack to the ground, popped corn scattering across the floor of her temple. Her staff followed shortly after as she grabbed the edges of her reflecting pool, shouting at the falling angel.

"Pit! Pit, _wake up! You've **gotta** wake up!_"

Palutena's cries of horror could be heard clear across the heavens._ "No, Pit! Hang in there! Hold on!"_

Nutski's began to swarm towards her, trying to compose her, and a few Flages began to pick up the fallen popcorn; but Viridi quickly threw her hands towards them. "No, no no! Not now!" She closed her hands together, and emerald nature magic began to flow across her fingers as she tried to link to Pit's wings - but to no avail, for the angel's unconsciousness and his rapid velocity completely shut her out.

"Damn it!" Viridi slammed one fist against the reflecting pool as her staff flew into her hands. "Come on, Pit! Wake up! You are _not_ dying on me now, you feathered fool! _Wake **up!**_"

+x+x+x+

_"You are **not** dying on me now, you feathered fool! _Wake **up!**_"_

Pit opened his eyes to find himself tumbling through the air. Which didn't make sense. Palutena was supposed to light his wings with the Power of Flight when he stepped out the door.

_"Come on, Pit! Wake up! Focus!"_

What was that town? It looked weird upside down in the sunset. Was it burning? No, that was just a couple tall statues catching sunset. Why did it look like it was on fire?

_"Pit, please, **wake UP!**"_

There was something in his wings. What were those? Wires? How did he get wires in his feathers? And why was there some kind of metal clamped around his arms?

And then it came back to him.

He was falling at a terminal velocity that would make Cragalanche jealous. Around him was falling enough pure orichalcum to put the Lunar Sanctum back together, and the pieces that were crushing his arms and legs probably had him so conductive it would leave Phosphora close enough to lock lips with. Just off the shore, Hades was watching him.

_With a smile on his face._

A roar of pain - that much pressure on your body doesn't make it nice to move - he tried to right himself. All he did was knock himself into a tumble, but with a clenched jaw he managed to change his direction so that he was falling towards a nearby cliff. Palutena and Viridi shouting at him became white noise as his entire cognitive process focused on making his body _not land headfirst_.

Four seconds.

Three.

Two.

One.

There was a menacing series of _cracks_ as Pit hit the ground, and a bloodcurdling scream tore through his lips.

_Because those cracks were his **wings**._

Hades touched down several kilometres off the shore as Pit tried to move, horrified cries falling from his mouth as he failed, tears of pain streaming across his face as he tried to endure. The bones of his left wing were cracked into pieces; his right wing wasn't much better, if so only because his left had landed first. Crimson began to flow across his body, and the earth beneath him; staining his tunic a bloody red and smearing his wings against each other.

Pure, unbound Underworld darkness began to gather around Hades, centering at his face. "Since you've been such a great adversary, I've saved my _deadliest_ attack just for you!" he taunted. "I _do_ hope you enjoy it!"

+x+x+x+

"Pit! Pit, get up! Please! You've gotta get out of there! _Pit! Get **up!**_"

Palutena had reached an all-out panic. Her connection to Pit was shattered, the goddess desperately trying to reach him again before Hades launched his attack. The flames from the Chaos Vortex were _nothing_ compared to this; Pit's life force was fading away even as she tried to reach him.

Troops from the Forces of Nature started emerging around Hades, trying to force him out of the attack; some were even trying to approach Pit and help him. The necrous force gathering around the Underworld god, however, was more than enough to drag the troops away from the angel, shatter the shots they launched at him, and destroy Viridi's troops when they came close enough.

_"Wait..."_ Viridi's voice sounded surprised - and horrified. _"Do you feel that?"_

Palutena's eyes widened. "A powerful force... a _godlike_ force," she realized. _But is it friend or foe?_ Half a moment passed as part of her focus went out to find the force - and Palutena realized what it was doing._  
_

"It's _seeking _**Hades!**"

The Goddess of Light let her staff hit the ground and grasped the edges of the reflecting pool. "Pit!" she cried. "Pit, get up! You've _gotta_ get up! I need you to focus! Please! Please! _Pit! Wake **up!** **Pit! PLEASE!**_" Her voice was cracking as she called for him, and tears started to flow down her face. "_**Pit, get UP!**_"_  
_

_"It's alright..."_

Palutena's eyes widened. "**_Pit!_**"

+x+x+x+

"It's alright..."

The angel was struggling to keep his eyes opened - he knew if he closed them, his life would be forfeit. Hades tremored with impossible power; his attack was nearly complete.

_"**Pit!**"_ Palutena cried. _"Pit, get up! **Please!** I'm begging you, **get up!**"_

Pit shook his head weakly, his breath heavy. "It's... alright... Lady Palutena..." He clenched his jaw, taking several deep breaths through his teeth. "It's... alright..."

_"No. No, no, no no no no NO! Pit, you are **not-!**"_

"This..." Pit gasped, wincing, but he managed to stay conscious. "This... isn't... the end... Lady... Palu...tena..."

He raised his gaze to Hades as the Underworld god lowered his gaze to fire - literally _looking his fate in eye._

And that same smile, the look that sought adventure, the smirk of a naive warrior, the face of an angel devoted to his goddess - the smile he had worn throughout his whole journey against the Underworld. That same childish grin rose on his face - for he knew, without knowing, that this wouldn't be the end.

That he _can_, he **_will_** win - in this life... or the next.

The angel's wings rose - and wrapped in flames.

"I'll see you back home, Hades."

* * *

Draco: Damn it, I'm a dark little son of a bitch. I've had this one planned since before all the rest of them.


End file.
